I don't recall how accurate this information is, but I thought I read in Consumer Reports that the diesel Liberty is only getting 15 MPG!!

I'll try to look up the reference later tonight just to be sure.

 

About a day after I posted this thread, I realized our mall security guys (I work at Sears) were driving Jeep Liberty diesels . So, yeah, I guess to ammend the original post, Jeep HAS come out with them (like other posters have stated). My mistake.
As an aside, I read somewhere online that the Liberty diesel engine is actually made in Italy, which to me seems rather odd. I thought Daimler-Chrystler would have made that in house, or perhaps collaborated with VW, as they are for future hybrids...

 

I was suprised to see that VW is still plagued by so many quality/reliability issues.
Consumerguide:

http://auto.consumerguide.com/Auto/U...ewreliability/

I thought they would have fixed that pesky old fuel filler fire defect by now?
Front suspension control arms falling off under normal driving?
Now the ABS system can short causing fires?

Apparently with so many continuing issues I wouldn't buy one, among other reasons.
Give me a minimum 10 year track record of very good reliability and a car that statistically runs as clean after 10 years compared to day 1...and one that can achieve greater MPG than the day's regular gas cars and I'll consider one.

 

I don't follow VW closely, but my impression has been that since moving plants to Mexico for the N.A. market, quality has suffered drastically.

Purchase of a VW made in Europe or particularly Germany may be something much better.

 

BTW, I jumped over to ConsumerGuide for a moment, to see how they rated my Prius.

Middling.

They average cargo space, FE, and 0 - 60 times with about equal weighting. The Good news is their rating system is transparent; the bad news, it is moronic. No reliability, no cost, no depreciation, no safety.

No wonder CReports has remainded on top. Sheesh

 

Probably was true, but I think the NEW Jetta has exceptional quality. They have taken the Ford slogan to Mexico ... Quality is Job One. We'll have to see.

My 2003 Jetta TDI has been problem free ... opps ... nope, I have a defective seat heater. Either fry and egg or off.

Hope you guys will keep an open mind to the new breed of diesels, especially when the ULSD shows up and biodiesel is more available.

 

You can count me amongst the open-minded, especially with the advent of ULSD. Regarding oil consumption, I'm a believer in the adage that "whoever is not against us is for us." And as long as I'm in 'cliche' mode, how about "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." So even though in a certain sense hybrids and diesels are competitors, they are both achieving the end result of a reduction of the use of oil.

I think that both hybrid and diesel technology are a good thing for a couple reasons:

- they both are helping to achieve the end goal of less fuel consumption
- the presence of the two leads to a level of competition that can make both technologies better

And I would love to see what one of those Honda diesels was like, if only they would sell them over here.

 

Hey everybody,

I found this article that susinctly sums up about where the U.S. stands with regards to diesel models and fuel in general. Most of you are probably aware of what the article states, but I found it informative. BTW, if Biodiesels really take off, I wonder if we will begin to see the repealing of laws in states (like NY, CA, etc.) which ban the sale of diesel cars?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/29/Auto...sels/index.htm

 

Hi Atomic Frog:

___CNN/Money soft balled that article to death but I do not think they knew they were doing it because they simply lacked knowledge about emissions and real world FE. The cleanest diesels with the cleanest setups including DPF’s and 3 and 4 way CAT’s running on ULSD in Europe cannot meet even the minimum of emissions std.’s of the 5-clean states let alone all of them starting next year. The Diesel’s that VW sells over here are even worse then the Euro versions for lack of emission controls to even meet Euro IV let alone Tier II/Bin5!

___In terms of their FE, I am beginning to have my doubts. Maybe our diesel brethren just do not pay attention or do not have the tools (FCD’s) but I was over at TDIClub the other day looking over some of their forums (the FE threads in particular) and the best I saw was 62.x mpg for the month with many in the high 50’s. You have hundreds of TDI enthusiasts pushing tanks and they can only muster a high of 62 mpg? WTF! Either they need our help or the diesel isn’t as efficient as what the thermal efficiency graphs say they are.

___Anyway, here is a good side by side and one that has been posted here many times before …

Frugalympics

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

MEOW!

German makes bio-diesel using dead cats!

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/eu...eut/index.html